Coinciding with the proliferation of fast food restaurants, consumption of beverages in vehicles by drivers and passengers have increased markedly. Several problems are attendant with consumption of beverages while driving. Spillage can occur when the beverage is placed in an unstable location or if the driver fumbles in trying to grasp the container. Additionally, if the beverage container is not readily accessible, the driver may have to take his attention away from the road in order to locate and grasp the container. Where hot beverages are involved the problems are compounded. If the container is not well insulated, the surface may be quite hot to the touch making direct grasping of the surface of the container difficult. When the container has a handle the driver may have to fumble around in attempting to find the handle without taking his eyes off the road. Obviously, any spillage of a hot beverage while driving could result in disastrous consequences.
Within the recent past automobile manufacturers have been designing beverage container holders as standard equipment. The holders typically consist of receptacles with a cylindrical depression and a depth approximately equal to the diameter of the cylindrical depression. Typically, the beverage holders are sized to fit only the standard twelve ounce beverage or soda pop cans with a diameter of approximately 21/2 inches. These beverage holders are very effective in securing the twelve ounce beverage cans or other beverage containers with similar diameters.
However, beverage containers, other than the twelve ounce cans, generally do not have similar dimensions as the standard beverage cans and therefore simply do not fit or are very unstable in these holders. This is especially true for the frustoconical shaped containers such as the common disposable fast food beverage containers. Many reusable beverage containers are similarly shaped. If these containers fit at all into the holder it is often a very poor fit with the container only partially in the opening or receptacle of the holder and no contact between the base of the container and the bottom of the receptacle. Such a situation can result in either the container becoming very unstable in the receptacle or the container may becoming lodged in the receptacle causing difficulty in removing the container.
Reusable beverage containers for hot liquids such as coffee cups or mugs are typically of a bowl shape and often larger diameter than the receptacles. Additionally, hot beverage containers typically have handles with a low attachment point usually located at or very close to the bottom of the cup or mug. This attachment point prevents insertion into the receptacle even where the base diameter is compatible with that of the receptacle.
There is a need for a reusable beverage container that provides a secure fit in the vehicle beverage holders that are sized for standard twelve ounce beverage cans. Such a container should have features to allow the driver to quickly and securely grasp and pick up the container, to minimize any fumbling, and spillage, and to minimize any distraction from driving. The container should have a capacity greater than twelve ounces and provide a drinking lip comparable in size to typical coffee cups or mugs.